Litchfield Park has hunger for fine dining restaurants

When Litchfield Park resident Mike Digioia wants to celebrate a birthday or just wants a nice dinner, he leaves the city.

“You have to go to Avondale or Goodyear to even find an Olive Garden,” said Digioia, 48.

Digioia’s complaint is a common one. Though Litchfield Park appears to have all of the ingredients to entice a high-end restaurant — affluent residents, plenty of potential locations and few competitors — there are no fine-dining options in the city aside from Litchfield’s Restaurant at the Wigwam resort.

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Although it appears Litchfield Park is ready for more white-tablecloth establishments, reality is more complicated. The city needs more shopping and other entertainment to help draw customers who would dine at those new eateries, restaurateurs and city leaders say.

What is clear is that most area residents are looking for more local choices. Vice Mayor Paul Faith said he is asked about it once a month.

“I have heard for years West Valley residents would like more opportunities for fine dining and shopping,” Faith said.

Litchfield’s Restaurant, one of the Wigwam’s four on-site restaurants, remains virtually the only fine-dining establishment in the city.

The restaurant, which features woodsy touches, such as a communal farm table and large cooking fireplace,has a local-ingredient-focused philosophy serving a variety of meat and fish entrees. About 60 to 65 percent of its customers are locals, not hotel guests, said George McGann, vice president and managing director of the resort.

Litchfield’s averages from 100 to 125 guests per night in the winter and from 50 to 60 guests in the summer, or off-season. It sells out almost every weekend during tourist season and the holidays. Guests typically make reservations a month in advance, McGann said.

“The pros are we are the only game in town and we have established ourselves with a very strong reputation for great food and great service,” he said. “The con is that ... guests who want fine dining on a regular basis may want to see some variety in our menu.”

Litchfield Park leaders are developing plans that could help to bring a variety of businesses to the city, including fine dining, City Manager Darryl Crossman said. It’s unclear how long it will be before those new businesses envisioned by the city will open.

The city will hire a new part-time economic-development director some time after September, Crossman said.

“We’re going to rely on our economic-development director to do some research to find out (how) we can attract such fine dining to our city,” Crossman said.

In April, a group of students from the Thunderbird School of Global Management completed an economic-development study that cost the city $2,000 to identify commercial needs.

The study concluded that Litchfield Park needs a “city center” project, essentially a community hub for retail, dining and possibly other entertainment. The city’s goal would be to generate $3 million in sales-tax revenue.

The report listed examples of other city-center projects in metro Phoenix, such as Market Street at DC Ranch in Scottsdale and Kierland Commons and Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix.

City officials and the Thunderbird team would like to put a center near City Hall near Wigwam Boulevard and North Old Litchfield Road.

Litchfield Park officials have applied to have Thunderbird conduct a second study.The study, which would cost an additional $2,000, would help the city develop a marketing strategy as well as determine the best mix of housing, shops and other kinds of projects.

Other small metro Phoenix cities that are similar to Litchfield Park may not face the same issues because they may have more people, wealthier residents or more-established business communities, Litchfield leaders say.

Cave Creek, which is close in size to Litchfield Park, has attracted many restaurants, in part because of its tourist attractions.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 estimates, Cave Creek had about 5,100 residents and a median household income of $82,973. Litchfield Parkhad5,568 residents and median income of $76,971.

Like Litchfield Park, Cave Creek does not have a centralized commercial area. Instead, businesses stretch out for several miles along Cave Creek Road.

However, the historical town north of Scottsdalehas severallong-standing restaurants, said Ian Cordwell, director of planning. That includes 63-year-old Harold’s Corral, 62-year-old Buffalo Chip Saloon and 24-year-old El Encanto, which weathered the rocky recession years.

Eric Flatt, owner of Tonto Bar and Grill and Cartwright’s Sonoran Ranch House in Cave Creek, which are 20 and 12 years old, respectively, said local attractions like hiking and horseback riding help bring in customers.

Litchfield Park needs to develop similar draws before a business owner like him would consider opening a restaurant there.

“They’re coming here because we’re a destination town,” Flatt said of Cave Creek.

Unlike Cave Creek, Litchfield Park is still shaping plans to increase residential and commercial growth. Most of those efforts came to a halt around 2006 because of the economic downturn.

Officials had been preparing to build a commercial center in the very location they have their eyes on now that was to be called Rosewood Plaza and would have contained retail stores with lofts, restaurants, townhomes as well as a dinner theater, office building and grocery store. Developers dropped the project in early 2007.

“Now we’re starting up again, and we’re very optimistic of what’s going to happen this year and in the future,” Crossman said.

The economic rebound and efforts to nurture future commercial projects will be key for Litchfield Park, said Steve Chucri, president and CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association.

“From what I understand, the housing (market) is showing itself up in that area, … so that’s a key indicator to me that you’ll start to see other investment happening,” Chucri said.

Overall, Arizona restaurant revenues are rising. According to National Restaurant Association forecasts, Arizona restaurants are expected to post $10.5 billion in sales in 2013, about $500 million more than in 2012, Chucri said.

Mary Gage prefers Scottsdale over Litchfield Park because the East Valley city is filled with attractions, like shopping, museums and theaters.

“It’s not just the restaurants, it’s Scottsdale in general,” the 28-year-old Litchfield Park resident said.

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